When “Patriotism” Becomes A Crime Against Humanity And A Sin Against God….

Superficiality is the first error of the proud and narrow-mindedness is an abomination upon any throne of justice. When a man considers the passing of an exam more important than the lessons which it's meant to imbibe, then what we are looking at may, after all, turn out to be a graduated ignoramus. And when such people sit on the seat of leadership, error meets with error until compulsion tries to extract from the subjects the acceptance of what may be, at its best, an abomination to mankind. Two cannot 'successfully' walk together if they are not in agreement – an agreement drafted on the understanding and acceptance of the indispensability of mutual respect, equity and justice. This is the basis for erecting a structural (be it of marriage, childbearing, corporate institutions, business, leadership and service, etc.) depth in any relationship for the purpose of the results foreseen and desired. It is only after that these agreements are duly understood and reached that there can be said to be the need to form a common front for the defense of “collective interests.” When it comes to a country, the peoples (be they of ethnic, tribal, religious or racial groupings) must have what makes them thick to stick. This bonding understanding must be something peculiar to them, yet embedded in each of the characteristics of their individual groupings. It must be something which identifies with their accepted roots, their co-existence, vision as a people, and their posterity; it must, therefore, be something strong enough to carry, in its foundation, the individual and collective aspirations of the groups thus involved. It is only after that these are carefully and understandingly put in place that anyone amongst them can boldly come out and declare his patriotism knowing fully well that nepotism and patriotism are either sides of a coin which cannot both remain upwards at any given time. Where these are not norms, there cannot be a single patriotic individual – notwithstanding whoever claims to be.

The English dictionary defines “patriotism as” a person's “love of (for his) country and (his) willingness to sacrifice for it”. Going by my careful analysis above on relationships and mutual acceptance, the reasons for patriotism becomes vivid to the mind and inviting to the wills of those thus involved. Patriotism is a kind of love which is directed at one's country for many reasons amongst which are the presence and sustenance of:

Sources of livelihood
Justice
Security
Peace
Developments
Religious/ethnic tolerance
Unity
Enviable citizenship

When the agreement so far reached sees to it that the citizens no longer run wild just to be able to have their daily necessities; when justice applies to the rich and powerful just as it does to the poor and lowly; when men can rest at home after the day's struggle, or carry out their businesses in safety, or even travel the roads without being waylaid, molested, beaten up, robbed, raped, dehumanized and killed; when justice has become a national reason for one to stay in peace with the other; when those who lead are fully responsible and accountable; when men understand that God has set rules so that we each may understand Him better by living in peace and being tolerant of each other in worship of him as we choose, and in respect of our individual ethnic/tribal differences; when those involved in this agreement and marriage, having overcome injustice, irresponsibility and religious/ethnic intolerance, now stand as one in unity, and when men can proudly say: “I am a citizen of” without fear of being segregated, then it may be little wonder why men would not want to “die” for their country – even if that country unjustly rises up against another.

Nigerians, those the leaders (who include mostly those who say they are the laws: the House of Assembly and the Senate “honorable”) were elected and appointed to serve have, with every shrieking tone, demanded repeatedly for a Sovereign National Conference as the only alternative left against anarchy and chaos in a country which claims to have every right to sovereignty, but those elected to carry out the wishes of the people for the purpose of the people have denied their electorates the very thing which they swore to uphold - which is the utmost interest of those they represent. Their very reason is that “Sovereign” National Conference threatens the “unity of the nation.” How will it threaten the nation? Their answer: Each will want to go their separate ways, and “we don't want that.” And to them, their evil, cancerous and gluttonous fangs eating up everything that makes a united nation are the very things needed to compel its sustained “oneness.” Some uninformed individuals may want to argue that patriotism is better than justice, peace, tolerance, freedom and all that gives any nation its footing; but my question is: What is patriotism really better than: the ability of parents to take care of their children without breaking the law and without sending their children into the streets as robbers, prostitutes, murderers or, worse still, slaves; justice which brings sanity and accountability in the relationship between the elected and the electorate; security without which no one is safe – even in the comfort of his own home; peace which can never be without justice and equity – peace which loses its meaning when compelled; development which becomes strange in the society when the so-called leaders embezzle the public development funds with impunity; religious/ethnic tolerance without which nepotism and bloodshed become common; unity which must be achieved by mutual satisfaction and benefits; or the pride of being identified with one's country amongst the comity of nations?

Those (the so-called law makers and givers) who insist on a baseless and continued, compelled one-Nigeria without any conscious, mutual agreement based on mutually-protected interests of the groups/zones/interest with stakes to the Nigerian project are the very people who have, with their every word and action, proven to be the enemies of the very Nigeria they claim to be patriotic about: they want peace while they allocate to themselves over N12,000,000.00 each for their “clothing” while they insist that the citizens will have to take home a less-than N18,000.00 minimum wage; they tell helpless and defenseless law-abiding citizen not to leave a terror-torn area, yet they cruise in escorts of bullet-proof cars – leaving the masses as their contribution for world population control; they claim to be patriotic and would send a man to about ten years imprisonment for stealing a corn out of hunger, but they will quash any embezzlement case against any of them to avoid being exposed themselves. Their sins are burdensome unto them and their generations. They claim they will get rid of corruptions, but instead, all they do is get rid of anyone who has truly come to fight corruption by exposing those behind it: the very “patriotic” Nigerians who claim to be ready to fight corruption. Their stance against ordinary citizens and their opposition against heaven have seen many Nigerians run out of the country and into many prison of the world: today, over 500 are in Brazilian prisons, while over 800 are in Togo – not counting those all over Asia and Europe. Their actions and inactions have turned great number of Nigerians into citizens of different prisons throughout Africa, Europe, Asia, and all over the world. While they thus enslave their electorates, they still dig foundations for new prisons at home for the upcoming youths. Their reason: “the law must take its course” as long as it's for the masses alone.

I make bold to tell those who lead Nigeria – starting from the president, through the so-called senate president, to the governors, traditional/religious leaders, and all those who claim to be “the voice” of the people – I make bold to tell you all that you are the ones who have remained unpatriotic against your so-called one-Nigeria. Your treacherous sycophancy and is based on the personal well of wealth you have each dug into the Nigerian purse against the advancement of the people. You well know that a Sovereign National Conference means freedom, peace and prosperity for all and sundry, but you would hang on to your deceit of an excuse which, even when you are aware is no longer fashionable, would matter not to you. Which business man doesn't carry out an audit of his stocks, and which spouses do not have heart-heart talk when the foundation of their union is obviously and constantly thratened? The one who shies away from a board meeting is the very one who is dragging the company down, and the one who insists that taking stocks of our history will derail the future is that man whose gain (as he presumes gain to be) comes from the torture and pains he sees around. Africa, which was once known for traditional justice, has produced men who now hide under religion and democracy to enslave their brothers. But it is just a phase; evil has never permanently won.

“Nigerian” men (elders) of this generation have proven to be hopeless fathers for posterity and bad examples for the youths of our time. A man who leaves a land dispute between him and his brother unsettled before returning to his maker has only succeeded in creating enabling ground for family bloodbath. They, being evil, still can't help but exonerate that young man who boldly admonished the three so-called friends of Job when they were boasting against him of their mysticism and righteousness. When King Saul disobeyed the voice of God through Prophet Samuel because he thought that his love and concern – his patriotism – for the house of God (Israel) was bigger and more reasonable than that of Samuel who anointed him, or of God who chose him, and went ahead to offer the sacrifice (on the mountain of the Lord's battle) against Samuel's instructions (as our so-called leaders do today in their bid to keep the people perpetually enslaved: mending abominable constitutions which can only serve them and their children for a time), his rejection by God was instant – even though he ruled a while more. The president of Nigeria, on his Easter message, was quoted to have said that Nigeria will be better “if Nigerians shunned hopelessness;” how petty can a country's leader get? When you try to preach the gospel of hope to the people who only need a share (just for food) out of the billionth portion you and your cabinet of leaders have unashamedly apportioned to yourselves for your so-called “wardrobe allowances,” what hope-message are you preaching? Even without decent daily meals for those you rule with iron fist, is their peace at nights in their beds, or their safety in their places of struggle, too much to ask from a so-called one-Nigeria which has taken everything from them? It's no wonder: those who called themselves and have forced themselves upon alters they claimed God called them unto have shown Nigeria's politicians that everyone can be a shepherd of God's people provided they have the gift of gab which usually works on men who are always looking towards the hope for which Mr. president tends to rekindle: hopeless hope!

There can be no country without the people and no nation advances where its people have been enslaved. To these insincere and treacherous “champions of patriotism” in Nigeria, any demand from any person or group of persons for the rights and freedom of the people for whom they have been elected and sent to stand is tantamount to treason and unpatriotic act. Appealing to their consciences is like begging the devil for mercy; for this reason, as God is, He will break the jaws of the never-filled carnivores of Nigeria if He has to in other to free the helpless and the crying. For Nigeria with its present structure, patriotism to her can only mean opposition to God. A government which stands against the life that God has freely given to all flesh, but protects hers with everything - that government is cursed from above. Nothing appeals to their conscience; the word of God no longer seems to pose any threat to the demon inside them. They have fashioned priests unto themselves and have assumed the righteous God over the oppressed. But God is not man, and will never be mocked. For those whose rights have been seized by the spirit which rules Nigeria, and for those who are constantly beaten and compelled not to cry, there will shortly be yet a revelation of God's power because when patriotism becomes a crime against humanity and a sin against the throne of God's holiness, then one thing is imminent: God is about to move against the Pharaohs and the Nebuchadnezzar of our time.